Mist of Heaven
by DreamSummonerAlchemist
Summary: Strange things are happening in the far away place between the mountains and the desert. Disappearances, appearances, and then some. What does it have to do with Noelani, a desert girl who mysteriously appears in Ed's, Al's, Roy's, and Riza's lives?
1. Mist of Heaven

**_This is my first fanfic ever. I try, but you guys must be super writers. A later chapter has bits inspired by Harry Potter. I don't own FMA (Himoru Arakawa-sensei) or Harry Potter (J.K. Rowling). Oh, and Noelani (my original character) is pronounced (Noh-lah-nee). It means "Mist of Heaven". This story doesn't take place in any particular part of the main storyline for the anime/manga. So, let's get this party started._**

"Erm… Ms. Hawkeye? Can I ask you a favor?" a girl of around fifteen or sixteen had come into Colonel Mustang's office. Roy immediately looked up as soon as the girl entered. She had long dark brown hair and silver eyes. It had been a month since he or the others last saw her. Her normally tanned face was white with anxiety. She was wringing her black T-shirt to relieve the stress.

"What is it Noelani?" Hawkeye asked neither looking up nor stopping her work. Her mahogany eyes still running across the paper as she wrote and read.

"Um… yes, well… can I ask you alone?" Noelani looked like she might explode.

Only then did Hawkeye look up and stop her work, but her pen was still positioned to keep writing. "Fine," she finally said and put down her pen and followed Noelani out of the room, "Get back to work sir," she called without looking back. Riza Hawkeye, the seemingly heartless work-a-holic, stopping her work to be asked a favor was incredible to Roy. He looked puzzled, but said nothing and got back to his mountain of paperwork. He knew Riza had a tiny bit of a soft spot for Noelani. It seemed like only yesterday when she appeared at the front steps of the Colonel's door.

It was a stormy night when she appeared. Roy had just gotten home and had taken off his coat. He sat down on the couch and stared into space, exhausted. Once again, he and Riza both stayed late. However, this wasn't new to Roy. They often stayed over hours. He could hear thunder rumbling through the door. After what could have been no more than two minutes, he heard a knock at his door.

"Okay…" he said as he slowly got up and walked to his door. He wasn't exactly use to late night visitors. When he opened the door he took a step back out of surprise.

A dark haired girl of no more than fifteen was wrapped in a shabby blanket, soaking. "I'm… so… sorry," she said through her shivering, "Can… you help… me?"

"What the hell?" is what he would have said, but he managed a "Come on in". This girl looked terribly ill from standing out in the winter rain. She walked only a few feet.

"Holy crap! Holy crap!" Roy thought over and over. He didn't know what to do. This was more of Riza's department. He told the girl, "Hang on, I'll get you a dry blanket." After giving a clean and dry blanket to the poor kid, he raced to the phone. Riza had got to be home by now.

"Hello?" asked the other line.

"Thank God!" he sighed.

"Sir? What is it? What's-?"

"Get over here now!" he whispered urgently, "No time to explain!"

"Uh… okay…" Riza must have thought Roy was going mad.

After Roy hung up, he turned around to find the girl sitting on the couch, looking at the floor. He would offer her cocoa, but he was a less than mediocre cook. Instead he simply asked, "Who are you?"

The girl looked up, startled, "Noe… Noelani," her voice was strengthening some. She looked back down at the floor.

"Well, I'm Colonel Roy Mustang," Roy was desperate to not have silence filling the room, but this comment scared Noelani.

"Oh! I'm sorry to barge in, uh, Colonel," Roy almost laughed at such an overstatement, "I hope I haven't caused trouble…" her voice trailed off.

Roy smiled, "No, just… curiosity," Apparently, Noelani knew where he was going with this.

"I'd rather not talk about it right now," she said a bit stiffly.

There was another knock at the door. Noelani instantly turned around to look behind her. To Roy, she seemed a little paranoid but didn't think there was no reason. Roy opened the door to see Hawkeye looking wet and cold, but she looked warm compared to when Noelani had stood at the door.

"What is it?" she immediately asked.

"Just follow me," Roy whispered.

They both entered the room where Noelani sat. Riza asked, dare he say it, irritated? "Who is this?"

"Chill out Hawkeye. She just knocked on my door shivering out in the rain," he turned to Noelani, "This is First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye."

Noelani, amazingly, smiled. The smile was mostly in her silver eyes, but it was soon gone, "I'm Noelani."

Riza's expression softened, "What happened?"

"I'd rather not talk about it," Noelani replied in the same voice she had used with Roy.

"I know I'm asking a lot," Roy whispered to Hawkeye, "but could you keep her at your house for tonight? We'll figure out things tomorrow."

"Fine," Riza finally said, just like she would when Noelani would later ask her a favor, "Come on," she told Noelani gently.

The girl followed but left the blanket behind. She turned around just before she was out of the room and said, "Thank you, Colonel Mustang," and left.

Roy smiled slightly, "She has the voice of a soldier," he thought.

_**End of chapter 1.**_

_**Well, I hoped you enjoyed it. Sorry it's a bit short. Hopefully chapter 2 will come soon, n'est-ce pas?**_


	2. Through the Mist

**_Whoo... Chapter 2 is here... This chapter is a bit longer, I think. This chapter is also done in Riza's point of view. Disclaimers are still the same... What else? Oh, well. Just start reading the story already. _**

As Riza followed Noelani out of her office, she called, "Get back to work, sir."

Noelani continued to lead her on, and Riza started to think about the night Noelani first appeared. Roy had called Hawkeye about something he wouldn't say. Riza was sure it was something stupid, but she went over anyway. She ended up finding a girl in Roy's house. Of course, Riza became a bit defensive and scolded herself for it later. However, she agreed to take Noelani home. Luckily, Riza's house wasn't too far away. As they came up to the door, Black Hayate's barking could be heard. Hawkeye opened the door, and Hayate immediately sat down and stopped barking.

"I hope you like dogs," Riza said as they walked in.

"I love animals," Noelani replied.

Hawkeye turned around to see that Noelani had sat down and was scratching behind Hayate's left ear, "You can take a shower if you want," she finally told Noelani.

"Thank you," Noelani said as she got up.

Noelani was led to the shower. She was given extra clothes to sleep in and to get dressed in tomorrow. Only then did Riza realize how tall Noelani was. Noelani was just as tall as she was and would fit into her clothes, if they weren't too small. After that, Riza went to Hayate and said while petting him, "You behave yourself." Hayate yipped in affirmation. Black Hayate was a black and white puppy, likely a Shiba Inu, but he was in the in-between stage. He no longer chewed everything in sight, but that was taken care of almost as soon as Riza adopted him.

"What rotten luck," she said in an affectionate voice, " Roy decides to slack off even worse than usual, and then this girl seems to fall out of the sky. Better yet, I have to keep her," her voice became more serious, "I wonder who she is… what happened to her… Well, I'm going to sleep," She put a blanket and pillow on the couch, hoping Noelani would see it.

That night, Riza's sleep was restless. Dreams plagued her mind. She heard animalistic cries, explosions and other forms of fighting, and voices of her comrades. The next morning, she found that she was halfway hanging off the bed. Riza was happy it was a day off from work. Groggily she got out of bed. She went into the room where she guessed Noelani slept. The couch was empty, but Hayate was curled up on the pillow. When Riza looked closer, there was a note with flowing handwriting on the blanket. It read:

"I went to find my horse. I lost her last night. I'll be back before noon."

Riza hoped she misread the note, because she totally did not understand it, "'Horse'?" her voice cracked from lack of use. Riza simply shrugged and fixed herself some tea.

After walking the dog, it was around ten o'clock. Riza decided not to go anywhere after that, because she didn't want to be gone when Noelani came back. She just sat at the table with Hayate. " Roy owes me," she thought. Well, he owed her more was more correct. She kept him on track, saved his life, and many times, kept his will burning. It wasn't an easy job, especially since she felt a distance between them. He never came to her for help, she went to help him. Was he really the playboy we all know and loathe? Or is he trying not to let her become attached emotionally to him? Well, it was a bit late for that-

In the midst of her thoughts, someone knocked on the door. Riza opened it and found Noelani. Noelani looked a bit tired, but in a good mood. She asked, "I hope you don't mind if I tethered Arabia out front for a while, do you?"

"What?" Riza asked as she looked behind Noelani. Sure enough, a beautiful white mare was standing there, tethered to a stake. Strange tack unlike the ones Riza had seen and packs lay on the ground. Why was Noelani so bold all of a sudden? Riza shrugged and said, "Fine, but if the police come and say we can't keep her there, then that's that."

"Thank you, Ms. Hawkeye," Noelani said cheerfully. She ran back and started picking up her stuff. Hayate followed her and stopped short of the horse. Both dog and horse stood frozen, staring at each other. Then Hayate slowly approached, and noses made contact. Noelani was about to take in her saddle but stopped to look at the scene. After some sniffing, Arabia blew in Hayate's face, and the dog was blown over. Noelani laughed, and Riza couldn't help smiling.

Over the following days, Riza and Noelani came to know each other. Even if Noelani wouldn't tell her about the night she appeared, Riza still learned a lot. Noelani was from a desert clan, but not Ishabalan. Her clan practiced alchemy and kept their distance from the Ishbalans. Her people, decades ago, weren't of the desert. They used to live in an area surrounded by mountains to the north and the desert to the south, but an endless drought forced them to move to the desert. They had no choice because there was no way through the mountains. Her clan was a nomadic group, moving their cities every time their wells ran dry. However, her people only moved two or three times in her lifetime. Her horse, Arabia, was a purebred desert horse. Her clan used the fastest horses in the world to travel and sometimes fight. Every now and then, bandits, sometimes even claiming to be military, would attack her clan. However, Noelani knew that they were probably just rogues looking for an easy heist. Never has her tribe been successfully raided. Often, Noelani would be gone for a day or two and never slept in Riza's house. She would say she was just "getting fresh air". Riza supposed that was how her people got out and about. Arabia was never tethered at Riza's house after that first day.

In turn, Noelani learned a lot about Riza. She talked about her military career, her friends, and even Roy's aspirations. She even told Noelani about Edward and Alphonse Elric searching for the Philosopher's Stone. Noelani said she was familiar with the Stone, and heard the horrible stories about it. However, she never looked for or researched it. She wasn't too interested in the Stone to begin with. Noelani told Riza about her alchemic skills. Basically what Roy could do with fire, she could do with water, ice, and air and was mostly skilled with using air. She could instantly change them into one of their two other forms too. She loved to use ice to make sculptures, and she could make paintings instantly. Noelani also carried a sword hilt to put ice swords in. Also, Noelani could make things, and herself, fly through the air.

Soon enough, Noelani and Riza became friends. Riza saw that Noelani's personality wasn't all too different from her own, except Noelani was a bit shy and quiet and not quite so calm and collected, but calm and collected nonetheless. The next day, Noelani was invited to meet the others at HQ. Introductions were a bit awkward. Riza saw that Noelani wasn't the best socialist, and Noelani left before lunch. It would be a while before she would next come to HQ and ask Riza for a favor.

**_End of chapter 2. _**

**_Sorry it's still short. I'm still in the intro phase and I know that most of you have something better to do than read around 2,000 words. Anyways, I hoped you're still enjoying it and would be happy if you reviewed._**


	3. Christmas Eve

_**Here's chapter 3! I couldn't resist doing a Christmas special. It's not very long, but it's continued in the next chapter. This one is done from Roy's point of view. Disclaimers still the same, yada yada... **_

Roy did his paperwork for about two whole hours before Riza came back. When she came in, he instantly asked, "What was that about?" surprisingly, Riza smiled. Whatever it was, it highly amused her. "What?" he asked again.

"It's a surprise. You'll know on Christmas Day," she replied as she sat down and got back to her work, "However, I will now be coming two hours early and leaving two hours earlier. Is that all right?"

"For what?"

"Is it all right, sir?"

"Yes, fine! Did it have something to do with her month long absence?"

"Maybe," she said almost teasingly.

What was up with her today? She never acted like this. She was talking as if she were a schoolgirl keeping a secret from her classmates. Roy looked at her like she was morphing into some mutant chimera. He knew it would be pointless to keep asking her and got back to his work.

After that day, everything went back to normal. Hawkeye didn't act like "Ha! Ha! I know something you don't know!" at all after that. All that was different was that she came two hours earlier and left two hours earlier, just like she said she would. This continued until about a week before Christmas, and one day, Fury seemed to go mad. He came running into the room. He couldn't talk because he was out of breath.

"Reindeer…. Flying!" he finally shouted, still out of breath.

Mustang simply had a curious, but amused, expression on his face, "Had some early eggnog?" he asked cheerfully.

"No! I saw a…" he stopped, sighed, and began walking away and said gloomily, "Oh, forget it. I forgot I was talking to, how did Ed put it? 'Colonel Sarcasm'…"

Mustang would have joked about Fury's insanity with Hawkeye, but she had left an hour ago. Besides, she probably wouldn't find it funny, now that he thought about it.

The next day, at around the same time no less, Havoc, Breda, Falman, and Fury all were in a heated discussion in the hall when Roy was just on his way out. Just when they saw him they all tried talking to him at once.

"Something weird is going on!"

"Does this have anything to do with Hawkeye leaving early?"

They continued to talk what was nonsense to Roy, "One at a time!" they all quieted, "What are you blabbering on about?"

"Like I said yesterday, reindeer!" Fury told him.

"Not again," moaned Mustang, "Look, I really don't want another 'Warehouse 13' situation…"

"But we all saw it!" protested Breda, "It had wings and everything!"

Mustang didn't think much of this fiasco until then. Then a thought came to him. What if it was a chimera of some sort that they were seeing? Finally he said, "Look, if this isn't solved after Christmas, I'll help you," he knew this was a lie.

Mumbling, all four of them left Roy to go home. Roy waited until they were gone until he left.

Soon enough, Christmas Eve arrived. Roy and his staff had arranged to go to a Christmas party at his place. Even so, Hawkeye still left early. She said she'd be at the party with Noelani, but they would be a bit late. Roy had just sighed, knowing they were still up to something.

Roy sat at home, on his couch. He had lit a fire in the fireplace, but other than that, there was nothing festive except for the occasional candle. One by one, Havoc, Fury, Falman, and Breda all arrived. While waiting for Hawkeye, they just merely talked about getting together with their families for Christmas dinner the next day, or whatever they'd do. After about half an hour, Hawkeye arrived with Noelani and Hayate right behind her. Breda immediately fled to the opposite side of the room. He had a phobia of dogs.

"Calm down," Riza said irritably. Reluctantly, still watching Hayate, Breda came back to where he was.

Noelani shyly looked around at all the people. Then, she sat down by the fire with Hayate. She put a long black case down beside her. Roy asked, "What's that?"

"Oh… um… that's my… my flute," Apparently she was very skittish around so many people, "I though I could play something…"

"That would be nice," he said.

"Oh… ok," she opened the case. Inside, a silver flute lay in three pieces. She took out the joints and put them together.

"I'll make some cocoa," Riza said. She went into the kitchen, and Roy could hear her looking for places where there wasn't any beer.

After putting her flute together, she aligned the head joint. Then, she put it to her mouth and played.

It was a beautiful tune. Nobody recognized it, but it was very soothing. It even sounded a bit mournful. After a few minutes, the song ended, and Hawkeye returned with the cocoa.

"That was very nice," she said. Apparently, she didn't want to come into the room until the song was over, but she heard it anyways.

"Yeah, where'd you learn to play like that?" Havoc asked.

"Oh… I'm… I don't remember to be honest."

"Well, you should play for us more often," Roy added.

Noelani blushed, but the fire's glow hid some of it, "Um… That would be fun."

The party continued. They mostly just sat and had small talk and enjoying each other's company. Noelani sat by the fire, reading a book she had found on a bookshelf. This was one of those rare times where Roy and the rest could actually be friends. Then, the reindeer came into the conversation.

"Hawkeye, have you seen anything, uh... weird lately?" Fury asked.

"No. Why do you ask?" Riza continued to stare into the fire.

"You haven't seen any... erm... reindeer around, have you?" he must've been thinking how stupid he looked talking about reindeer in Central.

Her eyes narrowed, "Can't say I have."

"Oh, all right, then..." looking extremely embarrassed, he looked at the floor and twiddled his thumbs.

There was a long silence after that.

When the clock struck midnight, Roy said drowsily, "Merry Christmas."

"Well, I'm going home," Fury said, "Merry Christmas."

Havoc, Breda, and Falman followed suit, but Hawkeye remained behind. After the four had left and closed the door behind them, Roy said, "I'll be right back," and left the room. Riza and Noelani looked at each other, puzzled. Roy came back a minute later and said, "Tada!" he had two packages in his hands. He gave one to Riza, and the other to Noelani.

"Thank you," Noelani said softly.

Riza didn't say anything until she took out what Roy gave her, "Oh, wow," she whispered, "Thank you," her present was a brand new pistol and ammunition to go with it.

"Those are the finest in town, so take care of them," Roy told her.

Riza looked at him suspiciously, "Why only us?"

"Well, did you see the others give me anything? Besides…"

"It would be weird to give gifts to other men," Riza finished as if she heard this many times before.

Noelani finally opened her gift. At first they appeared to be ordinary gloves, but upon closer inspection, she saw that they had transmutation circles sewn onto the palms with blue yarn. In the same tone she said, "Thank you, but how did you know?"

"Hey, when you talk to Hawkeye, you talk to Mustang," he was about to add, "except for this Christmas secret you're keeping from me," but knew that he wouldn't get any information.

Noelani put on the gloves and tested them by performing a transmutation. After a flash of light, a small figure of a rampant stallion sat on her palm. She got up and gave it to Mustang, "Merry Christmas. It shouldn't melt for a while if I did it right."

"Thanks," he said, surprised at her craftsmanship.

"I think we'll go home now," Riza said after a long pause.

"Good night, and Merry Christmas," Roy said as they walked out of the door.

_**End of chapter 3 **_

_**I hope you liked it. Well, I'm going to try to get the next chapter up before Christmas. I'll have to spend hours editing it, but it'll be worth it. The plot will start coming together in the next few chapters. Yay!**_


	4. Heavenly Aurora

_**Roy's P.O.V. again. This is the chapter inspired by a bit of HP (which I don't own).**_

_**One word... Christmas...**_

Unfortunately, Roy and his staff didn't have the day off for Christmas. It had snowed the night before too. Roy would have much preferred to stay at home during this white Christmas, but he somehow managed to make himself go to work. Hawkeye came at her regular time, but as usual, before the others. Roy came in and said, "So, what about this Christmas surprise?"

"I'm surprised you still remember," she said without looking up from her work, "Well, Noelani said to come to the courtyard during lunch."

Roy nodded and said nothing else. He got to his work wondering what on earth could take almost a month to prepare.

After what seemed like ages of working in silence, it was time to go to lunch. He rounded up the others and Hawkeye led them to the courtyard where they saw Noelani. She was standing in the center of the yard, and she smiled at them. She wore a long black coat and some jeans. Her snow boots were also black, and she had a red scarf around her neck. She was fidgeting out of excitement.

When they got to her, Roy asked, "Well?"

"Just a second," said Noelani. Then, she whistled loudly. The whistle echoed off the buildings several times over. At first nothing seemed to be happening, but then-

_Flap… Flap… Flap..._

They all looked behind them to the source of the noise, and Fury, Havoc, Breda, and Falman all pointed to the reindeer and said in unison, "See! We told you!"

The reindeer flew over the rooftops and was coming in for a landing. When it landed, it had to gallop for a few meters before it could stop. Then it trotted over to Noelani. The reindeer stood patiently, not looking at any of the others.

"This is Aurora," she said. Aurora was a dusty brown color. Her huge wings were the same color, except for some gray feathers. Her wings must have had a total thirty-foot wingspan. Her neck was covered in shaggy gray fur, and her tail was that of an overgrown eagle's. Feathers also ran across her back to form a bridge between the wings. The antlers had many points, indicating that she was in the prime age of a reindeer. The last and strangest thing Roy noticed was that the reindeer had golden eagle eyes.

"Is that a she? I thought only bucks had antlers," said Fury.

"No, both genders in reindeer have antlers," Noelani corrected, "Have you ever noticed that one of Santa's reindeer was named Vixen?"

"Good point," said Havoc amused at her tone.

"What the hell have you two been doing!" Roy asked loudly.

"Training," answered Hawkeye.

"I know how well Hayate is trained, so I thought I could use her help," Noelani added.

"Where did you get this thing?" Roy asked a little less loudly but still extremely irritated that he didn't know about this chimera.

"It's a long story. Besides, I don't have to tell you, do I?" Noelani teased.

Roy narrowed his eyes. This was one of those rare moments when she wasn't shy.

"Who wants to say hello?" Noelani asked.

Havoc, Breda, Fury, and Falman all backed away. Riza and Noelani smiled, but Roy didn't understand why.

"Well done, sir," Riza said.

Roy looked behind him and saw they were now quite a distance away, "Traitors!"

"Don't worry," Noelani started to say, "She won't bite."

"No, she'll just impale me instead…" Roy mumbled and glancing nervously at the antlers as he approached.

"Go on, let her smell you," Noelani seemingly was excited about this whole ordeal.

Roy held out his hand and Aurora quietly sniffed. Then she put her head under his hand. She was just like a dog! Roy scratched behind her ear and thought, "What on earth _have_ they been doing?"

"I think she'll let you ride her now," Noelani suddenly stated.

"What-?" Roy started to say, but Noelani had already used alchemy to lift him up on to Aurora's back. It felt weird to be lifted by nothing but moving air and then plopped onto a steed.

Aurora shook her head in protest at the sudden change of weight, but didn't move otherwise.

"Don't pull any feathers, sir," Hawkeye seemed to find this highly amusing. Roy just glared at her, but this just made her smile even more. What was wrong with her lately?

Noelani started to say while Roy was still glaring, "Now, to steer her, just press onto one side of her withers, like this," Roy turned to see her press her knuckles on the withers, but not enough for it to have any real effect, "Except harder. To make her land, pat her rump three times."

"Land? Wait-!"

"Fly!" cried Noelani.

Before Roy could protest, Aurora was running as fast as she could and extended her wings. Roy hung on to the shaggy fur on Aurora's neck for dear life. She started to flap, snow flew everywhere from the force of the wing beats, and then they were in the air. Aurora tucked in her front legs. Roy could feel his stomach being left behind, but once in the air, he never felt more delirious, except for when he was drunk. The wind was freezing, but it was nothing compared to the sensation of flying. He pressed on her left side, and he felt her turning her tail to steer to the left. He looked down at his friends, tiny as bugs. He couldn't help grinning; he felt like a kid again, something he had almost forgotten to feel. When he felt his entire face going numb, he patted Aurora's rump three times. She dived down and then she put out her feet like a goose landing in a pond. Roy felt himself being flung forward from the force of the landing. Like before, Aurora had to gallop before she could stop. When she halted, Roy slid off her back and fell face first into the snow laughing.

The others ran to him, but Riza got to him first and said, "Are you alright?"

Roy turned over, still laughing, "Never… again…" he picked up some snow and threw it in her face. He laughed even harder.

She recoiled and said while wiping the flakes off her face, "I'll take that as a no," and then she got down, made a large snowball and threw it in his face before he could get up.

"Hey!" he said, still laughing a little. He threw a snowball back at her.

"Snowball fight!" cried Noelani from behind them. When Riza and Roy looked, Noelani had transmuted several snowballs, and they were hovering beside her. Before they could react, the Icy Balls of Doom flew through the air and piled them both in snow. Hawkeye fell to the ground beside Roy.

The fight continued for a few minutes after the rest had joined in. Roy, Riza, and Noelani had teamed up, which was highly unfair. They had an alchemist made for the snow, a great sharpshooter, and an alchemist who could melt incoming snowballs. However, Noelani betrayed the other two and piled not only them, but also everyone else in snow. After they climbed out of the snow, Hawkeye said, "We better go. We don't even have time to eat... and we never speak of this again!"

Noelani sent off Aurora, to who knows where, and they started to head back to the office. Just before reaching the front steps, two people came up to Roy.

"Hey, Mustang," said the smaller boy. He had blonde hair tied up in a braid, with some hair falling beside his face. He had bright golden eyes and also wore a red coat over a black shirt and black pants. This was Edward Elric

"Hey, Colonel! Merry Christmas, everyone!" the person in the suit of armor had a surprisingly young voice. This was Alphonse Elric, a walking suit of armor.

"Hey, Fullmetal, Alphonse," Roy replied, and a look of realization flew across Noelani's face. Despite their constant searching for the Philosopher's stone, they were willing to pay a visit. However, Roy said nothing of this.

"Who's that?" Ed asked, indicating Noelani.

"Oh, that's Noelani," he replied.

Noelani smiled slightly, but like before the smile was mostly in her eyes, "Nice to meet the famous Fullmetal Alchemist and his _younger_ brother."

Edward immediately was friendly with her, "Nice to meet you, too,"

Roy thought he must have appreciated she knew who was the older brother.

"Erm, why are you guys covered in snow?" Edward asked, looking at everyone. Oddly enough, everyone started wiping off the extra snow.

"Mind your own business, Fullmetal," Roy replied when he finished. He knew Ed would never stop going on about how they skipped lunch to have a snowball fight.

Edward turned to Mustang, "Mind if we stay with you guys for a bit? We won't stay too long, because we have to visit Winry tonight, too."

"Sure, fine with me. More people to help me with my paperwork."

**_End of chapter 4_**

_**You think X-mas is over? Nope! I have one more X-mas chapter to do! Mwahahaha! **_


	5. Home for the Holidays

_**I promise, this is the end of the X-mas chapters! However, this chapter is my longest one yet. I think they'll stay around this length from here on. Ed's P.O.V**_

It was lively in the office after they came back. The silence that filled the room before was nonexistent, but that was mainly due to the discussion going on between the Elric brothers and Noelani. They all sat at the large table in front of Mustang's desk. By the look on his face, Roy never heard Noelani talk so much. Riza just looked like she wanted them to shut up while she was working.

"So you're from around Ishbal?" Al asked her.

"It's not really that close to it, but then again we haven't seen our homeland in decades, so yeah."

"Did you interact with them?" Ed asked, a little less enthusiastically, but he couldn't wait to hear anything about Ishbal. It was said a Philosopher's Stone was made there by the Grand Arcanum, but the Arcanum needs even more sacrifices.

"No, not really," she replied a bit quietly. Ed felt a drop of disappointment.

"I didn't know that an entire civilization would decide to live in between the mountains and the desert, but water supplies would be excellent. Fresh mountain spring water after every winter…" Alphonse was less interested in Ishbal than Ed was, but Ed supposed that was a blessing.

Noelani sighed, "We only get water when there's actually rain in the summer and snow in the winter up in the mountains. We thought it was impossible, but repeating droughts during the summer and winter pretty much destroyed our water supplies."

"So you moved to the desert," Ed finished.

"Yep. We lost all trade routes, our people broke up, and we had to look for water in the desert," she forcefully laughed, "But what choice did we have? Hardly anyone would be able to climb those bloody mountains, and we didn't dare leave our horses. They're our family," she sighed again, "Out in the desert, raiders were a bit more troubling than they were back home," then she grinned, "but we whooped their asses every time!"

Ed grinned with her, "So it wasn't over for you guys!" He completely forgot about Ishbal.

"Even if we weren't rich or prosperous anymore, we still had it good. Our warrior alchemists became even better, hence the kicking of the asses."

"That sounds like the ancient times… nomadic warriors," Al daydreamed.

"I was one of them," Noelani continued, "Or I would've been on my sixteenth birthday…" she sighed, "Arabia is a fine war mare too. She does anything I ask, no questions. We're like sisters, but if anyone else gets close to her she'll trample you like a rattle snake."

"That's real loyalty…" Ed also began to daydream. "Wait, you'd would've been one of those warriors?" he looked anxious to hear about this.

"Yep! I was the best sword wielder slash marksman slash alchemist in my age group! That is until…"

Silence began to creep into the room once again, only to be broken by Mustang.

"Aren't you going to the Rockbell's place?" he asked a bit annoyed at all the talking.

"Damn! We'll miss the train!" Ed cried angrily.

"Edward," Noelani asked quietly, "Can I come with you?"

Ed looked curiously at her, contradicting his previous attitude, then he smiled, "I bet Winry would like to meet you. Just don't make her mad."

"Thank you!" she turned to Riza, "Umm, Ms. Hawkeye?"

If Riza had a pencil, it probably would have broken. Her knuckles were white from gripping the pen so hard. Then she said in a rather calm and controlled voice, "Yes, you can go," she looked like she was about to add, "I'll finally have some peace and quiet!" but she didn't, and Noelani knew it.

"Thank you," Noelani whispered, "Well? We've got about…" she looked to the clock. Ed's train left at 5:30, "half an hour! Come on! Let's go!" she ran towards the door but turned around, "Bye, Colonel Mustang, everyone," she was out of the door before the others could reply. Ed and Al ran close behind her.

"Hawkeye?-" Roy began to ask.

"I have no clue, sir," she said without looking up from her work.

Noelani, Edward, and Alphonse all ran down the street, but only Noelani seemed to know where she was going.

"Wait! Where are we going?" Ed yelled. She was surprisingly fast for someone with no automail, let alone a walking suit of armor.

"To the park!" she called over her shoulder, her hair waving like a horse's mane behind her.

Ed and Al looked at each other without stopping. The park wasn't far, and before they knew it, Ed and Al were chasing Noelani through the woods area of the park. They ran along the path after her and they found Noelani in a clearing walking up to a white horse.

"Come on, Arabia. We're going to a friend's house." Ed and Al saw that a saddle and some packs were lying in the grass. Noelani put a halter over the horse's head.

"Noelani," Al began, "Why on earth did you leave your stuff out in the middle of a public area?"

"Is something wrong with that?" Apparently, she knew nothing of the dangerous city criminals that seemed to lurk everywhere after dark.

"Come on! Hurry up and stop talking!" Ed yelled.

Noelani glared, but said nothing and hurriedly saddled up the horse and put on the packs. The saddle and bridle were surprisingly simple, and there was no steel bit in the reins. Arabia was cautiously curious about the new people, but Noelani made it clear now was not the time for introductions.

Noelani mounted and asked Ed irritably, "You want a ride?"

"What? Oh, sure why not?"

It was a good thing that desert horses were a bit small. Ed barely managed to get on. Noelani had to hold her tongue until they got on the train.

"Hold on to the back of the saddle. Arabia hasn't double-ridden before." She said as they set off.

"Well, that makes me feel better!" he gripped the saddle and Arabia cantered, with Al at their heels.

In a surprisingly short amount of time, all during that time Ed was taunting Al for not being able to keep up, they reached the station. They still had fifteen minutes to arrange transport for Noelani and Arabia. When arrangements were made, ten minutes remained. During seven minutes of that, Arabia absolutely refused to get in the train car. She would only consider it when Noelani took the halter and gently pulled her in, but as soon as the door closed, Arabia whinnied. Ed just hoped Arabia wouldn't break out of the car on the way there.

At the last minute, literally, the three got on. When they found seats, the train almost immediately started moving. Noelani sat by the window, Ed and Al opposite her. During the ride, there was almost no talking because Noelani practically pressed her face on the window, although the view was poor because of the dark. Had she not ridden a train before? Sometimes, she would ask questions like "How does this thing move so fast?" or "What's that?" or "Where are we?". Al was completely patient with her, but Ed eventually stopped answering her questions.

Finally, they arrived. After some "horse playing" again, they set off. It was late, but Ed knew that Winry and Pinako probably were staying up for the holiday, even if he didn't say he'd be there. As they walked down the road leading to the village of Resembool, Noelani smelled the air.

"I've never smelled such wonderful air," she said.

"Well, this is the country. No big, polluting cities," Al replied.

"The desert smelled so dry compared to this, but it was still clean. Nothing's worse than city air." Noelani added.

"Well, I got use to it," Ed said.

"But one thing the desert has that even the country doesn't is the stars. Even if it's incredibly clear here, it's nothing compared to the desert. You swear you can see distant galaxies. Also, meteor showers are far more visible and beautiful."

"I bet that's true. I guess the light pollution even reaches all the way here." Al replied.

Soon enough, they arrived at the shop. Noelani dismounted and took off the saddle and packs and simply released her.

"She won't run away?" Ed asked.

"Didn't you hear me earlier? We're like sisters. You even said that was great loyalty."

Ed glared, but said nothing. Noelani brought in all her stuff, but Ed didn't understand how she could manage. They all walked in and a girl of around sixteen or seventeen and her grandmother Pinako were sitting at the kitchen table.

"Hey guys!" Ed said happily.

"Hey Winry! Hey Auntie!" Al said in the same tone.

"Well, well. Look who's here!" Pinako said.

Noelani put down her stuff out of the way.

"So you guys did decide to come," Winry added. Then a bit irritably, "Who's that?"

Ed panicked. The last thing he needed was her being mad at him, "This is Noelani! She wanted to meet you!"

This was not the correct answer, "And!"

"She's not my girlfriend! Happy!"

Both Winry and Noelani blushed furiously. After a standoff between Ed and Winry, she unconvincingly said, "That's not what I meant!"

Ed didn't notice, but Al leaned over to Noelani and whispered, "They have issues. Don't let it bother you."

Noelani nodded.

"Enough already," Pinako said not unkindly, "We have a guest. Let's sit at the table and eat. I was prepared for a visit from you two, but Winry and I will make something extra for your friend."

"Thank you, ma'am," Noelani said.

"Hmph!" Winry added under her breath.

"Winry! Just chill out!" Ed knew this would happen.

Noelani looked very stressed. Ed thought this must be harder on her than him or Winry.

They all sat at the table, and Noelani told Pinako and Winry, while they were cooking, her story. Winry must have decided to calm down because she started asking about her history. After food was made, everyone helped set up the table. When they all began to eat, Noelani curiously smelled her food.

"This smells great! I've never had this kind of country cooking before!"

"What did you eat in Central?" Ed asked.

"Food's different in the city. It isn't made so carefully or with much effort."

"You just notice everything don't you?" Ed replied.

"Well, why don't you be tossed to the desert?" Winry finally said, "I bet you'll notice differences."

Ed was relieved that Winry finally accepted Noelani.

While they were eating Den, their dog, curiously sniffed Noelani, and she petted him.

After dinner, Noelani took out her gloves and put them on. She transmuted several small ice figures. There was an ice cat for Al, the alchemic symbol that was on Ed's jacket for Edward, a tiny ice wrench for Winry, and a miniature version of Den for Pinako.

"Well, I'm beat," Ed said after enjoying his gift, "Shall we go to sleep?"

"Sure," Winry replied, "You can use the beds for patients. We don't have any right now."

"Thanks, Winry. Good night, Auntie," Alphonse said as he, Ed, and Noelani got up and went to their guest room.

_**End of Chapter 5**_

_**Finally, X-mas is over. However, this is only the beginning...**_


	6. Back in Black

_**X-mas is over... I hope you guys had a good X-mas and stuff. Anyways, things get weird in this chapter. You know what the disclaimers are. I am so sorry to those who don't like ACDC about this chapter's title. I didn't want to totally spoil stuff, but whatever. Again, I am sorry.**_

Just as Al, Ed, Winry, Pinako and Noelani were about to go to their temporary guest room, the phone rang.

Winry said, "I'll get it," and ran to the phone and picked it up, "Hello?"

There was a slight pause.

"Oh, it's you," Noelani could hear a bit of annoyance in her voice, "Yeah, he's here. Ed! It's Mustang."

Ed rolled his eyes, "What does he want now?" and took the phone, "Yeah? What are you callin' me for?"

Apparently, not too many people liked the colonel.

The expression on Ed's face quickly went from annoyed to serious. It was silent on this end of the line for a few minutes. Mustang must have had something important to call about.

Finally, Ed hung up without saying anything. He looked at Alphonse and told him, "Mustang wants us back first thing tomorrow. He specially requested Noelani to come with us."

"Why?" both Al and Noelani said in unison.

"I don't know. Most of the stuff he said was either gibberish or nonsense, but it sounded pretty serious."

Noelani was suspicious. Why was she especially needed? She wasn't even in the military! Whatever it was, it probably wasn't good.

All of them went to sleep, but Noelani felt like she had just closed her eyes before Al woke her up.

"Come on, we're leaving."

"What time is it?" Noelani groggily asked.

"4:30" Ed said as he walked by, "The first train leaves at 5 o'clock."

Noelani woke up and went to the bathroom to put on clothes she had put on the bed beside her. Her outfit was again simply a black shirt, blue jeans, and black boots, incase she needed to ride. She also had a red hoodie and put up her hair in a braid. Oddly enough, she looked like Edward, except she had blue jeans, longer darker hair, and bright silver eyes. Also, she was much taller. After looking in the mirror, she laughed at their likeness, and then left the room to find Ed and Al waiting in the bedroom. She hadn't told anyone yet, but most of the clothes she had were all from Central. When she first arrived, all she had was a few valuables she would eventually trade in for money. When she bought the clothes, she didn't know that they were for boys, except for the shirt and boots. She didn't think about it for long, because Ed and Al were ready to go.

So, they all walked carefully through the house. However, it wasn't exactly quiet due to the clunking of Al's armor. Noelani got her stuff she laid by the door, and they left. It was a chilly December morning, and it was still dark outside. The air was filled with the feeling you get after the holidays are over, and you know it will be another year before they come again. Noelani whistled for Arabia, and she came trotting from around the back of the shop. Noelani saddled up Arabia, and they were off. When they arrived at the station, the sun still hadn't risen, but the sky was gray with the early twilight. After they got tickets, they sat on a bench in silence.

"I'm sorry about last night." Noelani said as she stared at the ground.

Ed had to lean around Alphonse to see her. He sat back and said, "Nah, don't worry about it."

"Like I said before," Alphonse added, "They have issues."

"Hey!" Ed said, insulted.

"Well, it's true!"

Noelani smiled at the brothers' spat. Then, she heard the whistle of a train.

"It's almost here."

When the train arrived, Noelani guided Arabia onto the train. This time, Arabia was less frightened to go inside the train car, and no whinny came from her when they closed the door. The train ride was rather uneventful. Noelani looked out of the window most of the way, but didn't press her face against it. It was daytime and easier to see, thus they talked a little more.

"Look! It's a stag!" Noelani said.

Ed and Al barely got a glimpse of the stag. It was drinking from a pond and had huge antlers, but other than that, that was all they could see.

"Unlike the deer around here, all reindeer have antlers, even the females," Noelani still stared at the passing landscape.

"What? Were there reindeer in the desert?" Ed asked sarcastically.

"No!" Noelani laughed, "I only saw my first one this year. Besides, there are eight different species."

"Where?" Alphonse asked.

"Long story short, I went to the country just north of here, found a… special one, and brought it back. She's in Central… somewhere. I'm assuming in the park, like Arabia was."

"What kind is she?" Ed asked as he looked out of the window.

"I'm not sure, but she's one of the larger species. She already gave a colonel a ride!"

"Are you serious!" asked Ed as he sat bolt upright.

"Yep!" she described the moments before she met the Elrics, including the snowball fight.

Ed got a very sneaky look on his face.

Noelani looked back out the window, "I wonder what the colonel wants…" she said dreamily.

"Who knows? Probably something stupid. He exaggerates everything." Ed replied.

"Or it could be something important," Al said, "He's not always slacking off. If he decided to call us that late in the night, he must have had something serious come up that made him stay late."

Ed just sighed.

When they arrived in Central, the sun had risen. Noelani went to Arabia's car and got her out. People stared at the girl holding a horse in the middle of a train station.

"Mustang said he'd have someone come for us," Ed said as he looked around.

"Who?" Noelani asked.

"I'm not sure, but knowing Mustang, I think I have a good idea," He looked around some more, then said gloomily, "Yep… It's Armstrong."

Noelani looked in the same direction as Ed and instantly saw who he must be talking about. An immensely tall man stood waving at Edward.

"Edward Elric! How good of you to come so early!" he said as he enthusiastically walked over to Ed. Ed however, looked like he wanted to run away or kill himself.

"Hey Armstrong!" Al seemed happy enough to see him.

Armstrong was not only eight feet tall, but muscular. He looked like he could squish Ed like a bug. He also had a sliver of blonde hair on his otherwise bald head and had a blonde mustache.

"And who is this?" Armstrong said loudly.

"I'm Noelani, sir," answered Noelani, a little shakily.

"Yes, of course! The colonel wanted to see you! I'm Major Armstrong!" he shook hands vigorously with her.

After the handshake, Noelani felt like her brain had liquefied, "Why?" her voice was still quiet.

"I think it'll be better if he explained," he said more calmly.

"I'll bet," Ed said moodily.

"Well, before we go, I need to release Arabia." Noelani said.

"Then I'll go ahead and take Edward and Alphonse." Armstrong replied.

As they split up, Noelani sighed. She could see why Ed wanted to run away from Armstrong. She mounted Arabia and put her in a trot, but they couldn't go any faster without the risk of running over someone. However, when they got out of the station, Noelani put Arabia in a canter. The city was a bit empty, due to the early time, but a few people were awake and going to work, or whatever it was they were doing. When they got to the park, it was completely empty. Arabia slowed down to a trot, then a walk, and then she stopped altogether. Her ears were flying in every direction as if to pinpoint a location of a predator.

"What is it?" Noelani asked. She knew this to be Arabia's, "Something's following us, and I don't like it" signal.

Without warning, Arabia flew into a gallop. Instead of staying on the path, she went into the woods. Noelani leaned down against Arabia's neck and held on. Noelani wasn't going to stop Arabia if there was something wrong. Finally, they got out of the woods and into a clearing, but before Noelani could feel relieved, Arabia reared up and neighed. Noelani sat up to see a strange person in front of them.

The person said in a monotone, "Hey! What it, will ya?" she had long black hair tied up in a ponytail and wore a black skirt and a black shirt that showed some of her stomach. She appeared to be in her mid to late teens. She had red eyes with slit pupils and had a red tattoo of two intertwined snakes forming the figure-eight-like infinity symbol centered on her bellybutton.

After staring for a few seconds, Noelani said quietly, "Sorry."

Arabia laid her ears down against her head as if to say, "Well, I'm not!"

The girl simply narrowed her eyes at Noelani, glanced at Arabia, and ran off.

After the girl vanished, Noelani dismounted and stroked Arabia's neck before taking off the saddle, packs, and bridle, "Behave, and make sure nobody messes with you or our stuff."

Arabia nuzzled Noelani in confirmation.

Noelani patted her good-bye and walked out of the park. Then she remembered why she had come to Central in the first place, "Holy crap! I'm so late!" and ran all the way to HQ.

_**End of chapter 6**_

_**What d'ya know? This one didn't turn out to be as long as I thought! Well, I just introed a major character. Dum dum dum!**_


	7. The Mist Lifts

**_This is a major chapter! Whoooooo! The mystery of Noelani is about to be solved! Well, her destiny is about to change too, and it isn't pretty. From now on, you guys are gonna know the disclaimers. It's getting seriously repetitive._**

"What did you call us back for?" Ed asked as soon as he walked in the door.

Mustang turned around from staring out of the window and said, "Where's Noelani?"

Armstrong answered, "She'll be here shortly, sir."

Roy nodded and looked back at Edward silently saying, "You'll know then."

"Should've gone with her," Ed mumbled, "I hate waiting around in here."

"You don't have to stay, Edward," Hawkeye said without looking up from her work.

"Well," Ed began, "I don't want to go somewhere only to have her show up while I'm gone."

"So why don't you try sitting down and being patient?" she asked.

Ed sighed and both brothers sat at the large table in front of Roy's desk.

Mustang turned around to look back out of the window and smiled. He would never admit it to her, but he truly admired Riza. She could handle the Elrics better than he could, and she always worked until the very end. She never wavered and always kept her eyes on the road, even if she couldn't see the end.

Hughes was always there to repair Roy's wings, but after he was mysteriously murdered they were broken permanently, but Riza kept him walking.

Of course, he found her attractive, but he would never ask her out. She wasn't like other women, or other people for that matter. He respected her too much…or was it that he actually cared about her, too?

Roy's thoughts were distracted by the sound of a door flying open. He turned around and saw Noelani, leaning against the door frame and staring at the ceiling. She looked extremely exhausted.

"Sorry I'm late," she said, breathless.

"It's only been…" Roy looked at the clock. He saw that at least half an hour went by.

"What did you call us back for?" she asked. Unlike Ed, she was very polite and always minded her tone. Roy made a mental note to thank her parents for raising her so well.

"I really don't want to tell you across the room."

She walked calmly over to in front of the colonel's desk. Ed and Al followed suit.

"Ed, I think you be interested in these," Roy pulled out a file from under a stack of paperwork, "It explains in… further detail what I told you over the phone last night."

Ed pulled out the papers. Photos of something were in front of the papers, and Ed looked at these first. Noelani leaned over to see them.

"What?-" he began. Unless Mustang was pulling a joke, there was a dead chimera that was part horse, part human in each picture.

"Something has been happening, and I want you to find out what."

Noelani, for the first time, looked a bit panicked, "What's going on? I don't understand!"

Mustang ignored her, but for some reason, it pained him, "Some of them tried to attack, but our firepower overcame them. We brought some of the back so we could do an autopsy and study them."

Apparently, Noelani got the message to let Mustang finish, but he didn't want to say anything else until Ed read the documents.

"So, there are links between vanishing caravans in the greater Ishbalan desert area and these… whatevers?" Ed asked after he finished scanning the papers.

"Yes. The centaurs, we believe, are the cause of the missing caravans, but we want someone to find out for sure."

"And that would be me?"

Mustang would have smiled, but he didn't because he knew he was about to upset Noelani, "We just want you to go with the one I'm sending," he glanced over at Noelani.

Noelani looked like she would explode.

"She's not military, sir!" Hawkeye angrily protested. Apparently she was listening to the conversation.

"Yes, but as it so happens to be, the Alchemy Exams are being held on the first day of January," he said without looking at her.

"They won't allow it!" Riza knew of Roy's plans, but apparently, her attachment to Noelani made her lose her cool demeanor.

"They'll allow it if we say she's of age. She looks old enough, anyway," Roy couldn't remember if he'd ever actually fought with his most loyal 1st lieutenant before.

"Why me?" Noelani finally said. Roy didn't know, but she knew exactly what was going on as soon as she saw the dead centaurs.

Of course, Roy isn't easily fooled for long, "You've been hiding something, and by the sweat on you're face, I think I've discovered what. You knew about these things, and for all I know, they're the cause of your appearance," this was the first time he was ever hard on her, "I think it's time you told us just how you got here."

Noelani sat down at the table, a dead look on her face, "We were traveling to find water again. I don't remember much of it, but I remember the sun setting. Then I saw a dust cloud in the distance, indicating someone was coming. We immediately got ready for the worst and kept moving. When the centaurs came into view, they charged us. This would be my first battle. Our warriors, including myself, drew our weapons and met the charging enemy. I didn't last long. I don't know what happened to the others. I charged my target, swords ready. However, he grabbed Arabia's reins and threw her off course, throwing me off balance. I knew I should've held them. He grabbed my neck with his other hand and threw me, and I went completely blank. I thought I was going to die, but I woke up in a cargo train car. Arabia and I were in the only ones in that car, but I think I heard my comrades in other cars. Then again, I was really dazed. I almost lost hope, but Arabia didn't. She wasn't even close. She was kicking at the wall of the car, and she was even smart enough to stop when the train got to a station. Eventually, she kicked a hole in the train. That lifted my spirits greatly and I pulled some of the wood away while she chewed to form a hole big enough for both of us. I remember panicking when we were about to jump out of the speeding train, but Arabia jumped without my permission. I suppose that was the best thing to do. I could never repay her for getting us out. I don't think any other horse would've done it," she said nothing more.

Roy was amazed she was willing to tell them everything, "Thank you, Noelani," he said.

She smiled her smile, and then said, "It feels better to get it off my shoulders."

"Are you willing to take the Exam?" he asked.

"I'd do anything to find out what happened to my _hijura_," she said quietly.

Roy looked to Riza. He couldn't believe he needed her approval.

Riza had a worried look on her face, but said, "Fine."

**_End of chapter 7_**

**_Vocabulary time! Hijura can be singular or plural. It means friend, family, comrade, and such. Universal._**

**_Will she become a Sate Alchemist? Will she even be allowed to take the exam? Will Edward solve the mystery of the centaurs?_**


	8. Encounter

**_Chapter 8 is here! I had it done yesterday, but for some reason, the document wouldn't upload... Oh, well. The first sniglet is from Ed's P.O.V, the second part is Noelani's P.O.V. Sorry I didn't mention the P.O.V.'s in the last couple of chapters, but I hope it was easy enough to figure out._**

Ed, Al, and Noelani walked down the street, with no particular destination in mind.

"What are you going to do?" Ed asked, staring at the ground and walking slowly.

"I have to do this."

"You don't have to."

"What about you?" she turned on him and the party stopped, "You don't 'have' to find the Philosopher's Stone and get your bodies back to normal!"

Ed looked down in shame. It was true. Edward often said that he and Alphonse "had" to find the Philosopher's Stone as if they were being forced to, but Edward could not let himself ignore that awful mistake.

"I'm sorry," Noelani said after a long pause.

"It's fine," Ed replied in the same tone.

"You're right though," Al chimed in, "and we'll help you."

And thus, their silent pact was made.

Over the course of the following days, the three studied. To Ed's surprise, she knew all the basics. She just needed a few extra tune-ups to get through the written exam. That was quickly taken care of. When Noelani said she was the best alchemist in her age group, she wasn't kidding. On the 28th of December, they were given the bittersweet news that Noelani could indeed take the exam. On the 29th of December, Edward deemed her ready for the Alchemy Exams.

* * *

On New Year's Eve, Noelani was relieved to not have to study anymore. She decided to go to the park after stopping by Riza's house to take a shower. It was cold outside, but the sun was shining. She got to the park and took the same path as on the day she went to the Rockbell's. When she got to the clearing, Arabia wasn't there, but Aurora was. The reindeer quietly grazed, then looked up to Noelani. Aurora simply took a step and started grazing again. Noelani sat down, knowing Arabia would sniff out Noelani eventually. After a few seconds of staring, Aurora lifted her head suddenly. Her muscles tensed, and she had her ears forward. Without warning, she spread her wings, ran, and took off. Noelani stood up, ready for who knows what. She walked silently to the area where Aurora was staring. She looked, but saw nothing. 

Just when she was about to relax, a voice from above her said, "Hello, there."

Noelani looked up to see a boy of around eighteen in the same black clothing as the girl from the other day. He also had black hair, although a bit messy. He was sitting on a limb and leaned against the trunk. Noelani could see the same tattoo that was on the girl on his left hip, halfway covered by his black pants.

Suddenly, he jumped down, and Noelani took a step back. He laughed and said, "I'm not here to be rude, like Indi was. I have something to give you."

Noelani said nothing as he pulled a red stone from his pocket. Noelani instantly saw that it was a Philosopher's Stone.

"I'm sorry if it's just a cheap copy. Those idiots still haven't perfected it, but it should get you through the practicals."

"You want me to cheat?" she finally asked.

"What? Is you hijura not worth it?"

Noelani narrowed her eyes, took the stone, and said, "How do you know?"

He simply smiled and ran off into the woods. When Noelani thought he was gone, she heard him call, "I'm Theft, by the way."

Noelani turned around, staring at the Stone.

"I should take this to Edward."

She walked back through the woods, wondering, "How did he know me? Who is he?" Her thinking made the trip back to HQ much faster. When she arrived in Mustang's office, she asked, "Where's Edward?"

"I don't know," Mustang replied, "Why do you need to know?"

Noelani sighed, "Well," she took out the stone, "This."

"Where did you get this?" he asked harshly as he took the Stone.

"I don't know, really. Some guy with black hair and black clothes gave it to me. He knows! He wants me to cheat on the practical exam!"

Roy looked up to Noelani and asked anxiously, "What did he call himself?"

"Theft. He also mentioned an 'Indi'."

Roy narrowed his eyes, "Strange…"

Riza, next to him as always, asked, "Do you think…?"

"I'm not sure," he replied, "but we can't risk it," he turned back to Noelani, "If you see him again, or anyone like him, avoid them at all costs. I'll keep the Stone. These are unstable."

Something was happening, but Noelani didn't ask what, "Yes, sir."

He looked surprised, "You're not in the military."

"Yet." She finished.

That night, Noelani spent New Year's with Hawkeye and the rest. It was similar to Christmas, but Noelani was totally out of it. Her exam would be in several hours! When the clock tolled midnight, a pit in her stomach formed. Would it all be over if she didn't make it? Or would she try to take it again next year? Noelani didn't know if whatever was happening could wait that long.

So, she left without much of a good-bye, but the others didn't worry about it too much. They learned from experience that she likes her space and will ask for help if she really needs it. Besides, she didn't think they'd understand. She went to the park and found Arabia. They found a secluded spot and settled down there. Noelani, used to sleeping outside all her life, simply took out a sheet from her bags and used Arabia's side as a pillow. She hadn't told anyone where she slept because she worried that they might try to make her stay inside or something.

Shrugging off these thoughts, she closed her eyes and went to sleep. Whatever would happen would happen. Even with this philosophy in mind, she still went to sleep knowing her life was about to change.

_**End of chapter 8**_

_**Wow, this is a really short chapter. Then again, I think the next one will be pretty long, so yeah.**_


	9. Misty Dreams

_**This chapter unravels the mystery of Noelani even more! Apparently, Riza didn't hear EVERYTHING about Noelani. Once you read this, I hope you understand why she wouldn't want to reveal everything about herself.**_

_**Somewhere, deep down in this, there is a bit of a Final Fantasy X crossover. Just thought I'd mention it (so I don't get sued or something).**_

Noelani Elensar and the Draconian clan had to move again. The well was dry, and if they didn't leave soon, their food supplies would run out. This would be the third time they had to move. Despite the stress of traveling in the open desert, Noelani was excited. They just might meet up with another clan. She hadn't seen any outsiders in years, and it would be nice to see new faces. Unlike most Draconians these days, she was willing to meet new people. Noelani didn't know, but she would get her wish.

They were riding in the quiet early morning. Noelani's two best friends, Mahtan Telemnar and Seremela Arcamenel were riding behind her, talking. She swore they would probably end up married. They got along very well, but they fought like a married couple, with Seremela usually as the winner. Mahtan had dusty brown hair, his eyes exactly the same. Seremela had golden hair and had dark brown eyes. Mahtan was a shy boy, while Seremela was excitable and outgoing. Noelani thought how interesting it was that opposites attracted.

Noelani shifted her attention elsewhere, "Ki-lin," she asked her brother as they rode their horses, side-by-side, on empty sand, "How much farther?" She wasn't impatient to get to their new "home". In fact, she liked traveling.

"Ki-rin," Tomaeus, her brother who was two and a half years older than her, said, "You know we can only follow the direction of the birds. Other than that, we are lost," only occasionally, they were lucky enough to see where the birds were headed. In the meantime, they would survive on camel and horse milk, although very sparingly.

"_That voice… where have I heard it?"_

"Well, I think it's fun to have some adventure," she told him as she looked to the sky. It was still early in the morning.

"So do I, but there is a limit," unlike his sister, Tomaeus was less excited to see the world. He often said it just disappointed him. Tomaeus's black Andulusian, Kylon, snorted in agreement. He had a personality similar to Tomaeus's. Tom was a slender young man, two and a half years older than Noelani, with messy, short dark brown hair and sand colored eyes.

Noelani's horse, Arabia, was tiny compared to Kylon. However, Kylon was solely a warhorse and wasn't quite as fast as Arabia. Arabia was pure white, but she had a black muzzle, so she was technically gray. Kylon was jet black, almost seemingly blue with no trace of brown. His mane and tail were wavy and thick, while Arabia's were silvery white and silky smooth. Arabia had a small and delicate frame, while Kylon had a much thicker and stronger build. Arabia was fiery and outgoing, while Kylon was more docile. Despite these many differences, they were just as close as Noelani and Tomaeus.

Even though Draconians were picky about their horses, any would do to travel, but they just didn't allow some horses in war. Sometimes, they just weren't fast or large enough or suited to the harsh desert and the horror of war combined. The ideal warhorses were desert horses, Andulusians, and Friesians. Either they have fiery spirits, or they were quite clever.

"Anyways, Tom," she said teasingly, "Do you think we'll meet up with another group?"

Tomaeus narrowed his sandy eyes. Whether it was because she called him "Tom" or because of the question, Noelani didn't know.

"I don't think so," he said quietly.

Noelani sighed. She remembered her first time on this journey. They had met up with at least three different groups on their weeklong trip. The second time, it was only two groups. Now, they had been traveling a week. Nothing.

Noelani started to daydream. Her life had been so much of a routine. Wake up, feed your horse, bathe, eat breakfast, study, train with your horse, eat lunch, train with your Ki-lin or Ki-rin, depending on the gender, free time, feed your horse, bathe, eat dinner, and go to sleep. Then the cycle would start over again. When she was little and on her first journey, she remembered hearing stories from another clan's Shaman, or story teller, tell tales of the days when her people lived in one place as a prosperous civilization in between the mountains and the desert. However, most of this, she later learned, was simply legend. Her people had abandoned their home long ago, leaving all historic documents to rot. The only part of their culture that seemed to remain with them was their alchemy. When a child turned eight, he or she would decide which alchemic skill they would specialize in. Noelani had chosen air, water, and ice. Even as a child she knew how much it was needed. Tomaeus, however, specialized in fire. He said would always say, "Without the light of fire, there is no hope."

Noelani looked down at her swords, in hilts attached to the saddle and positioned right behind the stirrup straps, out of the way of her legs. Kylon forged them with his own fire as a gift on her fourteenth birthday. She remembered seeing transmutation circles placed quite randomly on them.

She had asked him, long ago, "What are the circles for?"

She saw him smile and heard him say, "The Shaman showed them to me. I think they're for luck, I suppose. As far as I know, they aren't even real," What he meant was, no one knew their origin or purpose.

There were ten circles, five on each blade. The circles were unusual, but in a few of them, she saw glimmers of purpose. One looked like the sun, another looked like it was made of lightning, and another looked like it was written in fire, but that may have been just some of Tom's sloppiness.

Apparently, Tom saw her looking at the swords, daydreaming, "I hope you never have to use them."

Noelani looked at him, despite his serious voice, he smiled.

"_Where have I seen that smile?"_

Seemingly out of nowhere, Larien Telemnar, sister to Mahtan, rode up beside Tom on her buckskin Friesian mare, Tanaquil, "Hey, Tom."

Larien had sandy hair and eyes a bit darker than Tom's. Larien was the older than Noelani, but younger than Tom, and as Noelani puts it mildly, she and Tom get along very well.

Tom leaned over and kissed Larien on the cheek. Noelani turned in her saddle and made a gagging gesture. She couldn't stand it when they got all loving in front of everybody, but said nothing about it. Despite this, Larien was actually a serious person. If Noelani and Tom ever argued, she didn't take sides. Noelani was like her little sister, so she couldn't side against either one. She was indifferent.

The moment didn't last long. Noelani looked in the distance and saw a growing dust cloud. It wasn't a sand storm, because it wasn't nearly thick enough. Whoever was coming was on horseback and moving quickly.

"Tom! Look ahead!"

"Quick! Sound the alarm!" he told both of the girls.

In unison, all three of them pulled out ram horns and sounded the alarm for incoming travelers. The entire caravan stopped, and the chief soon came running down the length of the group on her red desert stallion.

"All warriors, in position! We can't take any chances!" the chief was a determined looking woman with dark brown hair and Noelani's silver eyes. She stopped when she got to Noelani.

"I think we'll need your help. If there's trouble, I think you're prepared to become a warrior."

"_No, Mother… We must flee…"_

"Yes, Mother," Noelani replied, "I'll be fine." She was going to become a warrior! So much for her mother saying, "Not until you're sixteen"!

Tom had a worried look on his face as he prepared himself for battle, but he didn't say anything. The chief's commands were law.

Noelani pulled out some camel hide gloves that had transmutation circles branded on the palms. She put them on, shaking.

The chief came back up the caravan crying, "Keep moving! Do not charge unless they do!"

The suspense was awful as they kept moving. It felt like time had stopped, and they would be waiting to jump into battle for all eternity. Just when the entire caravan was silent, hoof beats could be heard. They were near!

In front of them, someone that at first appeared to be on horseback appeared over the sand dune. Then, hundreds more appeared behind them. The caravan was far outnumbered.

When Noelani looked closely, she saw the invaders weren't two separate beings at all.

"Tom! They're chimeras!" her voice echoed all around them, "They're half-human, half-horse!"

Worried voices started to sound throughout they caravan.

"Do not get distracted!" Noelani could hear her mother say, "Do not drop your guard!" Whether her mother was speaking to Noelani or the whole caravan, she didn't know.

Before Noelani had any time to think about that, all of the chimeras seemed to charge at once down the slope.

"Draw your weapons!" the chief cried. Noelani drew her left sword, and keeping her right hand available for transmutation. She wouldn't need to hold Arabia's reins.

"Charge!" her mother's voice rang clear in her head. Arabia seemed to fly at the attackers, and Noelani transmuted what little water was in the air into ice daggers. She shot them at the first wave, and several went down. Following her attack, a fireball swallowed several more. Farther down, she could see what looked like tidal waves of sand bury more.

The chimeras were coming in for close combat. Her head swimming, Noelani drew her other sword and picked out her target, the first chimera that appeared over the dune. She lifted her swords to the Double-Eagle position, the black body of the chimera coming ever closer. Just when the beast came within range, and Noelani about to bring down her swords, the thing grabbed Arabia's reins! He jerked them down, throwing both horse and rider off balance. Before Noelani could fall off, the chimera grabbed her neck and tossed her like a rag doll. The swords flew out of her hands. The last thing she saw was nothing but red before everything went black.

"No!" Noelani woke with a start. She looked around her, and saw Arabia's concerned face, "Just a bad dream," she said as she wiped the sweat off her face. She sighed. She had this dream many times before, but never in such detail. Arabia softly whinnied behind her as if to say, "That dream again?"

Noelani looked around. The sun hadn't even risen yet, but she didn't want to sleep in. Her exams were today, and if she missed them… she didn't want to think about it!

_**End of chapter 9**_

_**Wooo... so that's what happened.**_


	10. Northern Light

_**Ugh, another short(ish) chapter... Oh, well. Roy's P.O.V. **_

_**Ah, yes, vocabulary from the last chapter! Well, Noelani's Ki-lin is her brother (Ki-lin is the guy "version"). Noelani is Tom's Ki-rin (Ki-rin is the girl "version"). The clan Shaman assigns the Ki-lin or Ki-rin pretty randomly. The Ki-lin or Ki-rin must stay and train with the other until both are of age (16). And yes, I got the Ki-lin/Ki-rin from the Chinese/Japanese unicorn. **_

When Roy woke up, he realized he had fallen asleep on the couch. He sat up, stretched, and looked out the window. The sun hadn't risen yet, but he couldn't go back to sleep knowing Noelani would be taking her exams today. He went way out on a limb to get her able to take them. He didn't think about it long because he was too worried for Noelani's sake. Did she really know what he got her into? Either way, she seemed pretty determined to find out what happened to her family. The thing that worried him was the fact a desert girl, use to the freedom of her old life, would be leashed to the military, if she actually made it. The case about the centaurs worried him too. Traveling clans in the desert had been disappearing, and now these chimeras appear. Roy didn't even want to think about how they were connected.

Roy sighed and got up. He looked around thinking, "They better not have stolen anything last night."

His eyes fell on the mantle above the fireplace. A few pictures of his friends, almost all of them with Hughes, lined the mantle. His most recent addition, he found incredibly interesting. It was a figure of a rampant stallion Noelani had given him on Christmas Eve. The funny thing about it though, it was made of ice, and there were no signs of it melting any time soon. When Noelani had said, "It shouldn't melt for a while," he thought she meant a couple of hours at the most. This would be one week it had survived.

Roy stretched and yawned and got ready for the day ahead. He would be there when Noelani took her exams and hoped it would help her confidence.

The written exam was about to start, and Noelani looked extremely nervous. When everyone had sat down, the Fuhrer announced the start of the exam. Roy was beginning to feel nervous too. Could Noelani have prepared herself in only a few days? It took Fullmetal months!

However, as time went by, Roy saw Noelani become more and more relaxed. She even began to smile!

She looked down at him and mouthed, "This is so easy!"

Trying not to let his jaw hit the floor, he thought, "What the hell did her parents do to her!"

After the exam, all the papers were taken up, and the Fuhrer scanned through them. Roy managed to see him look at Noelani's paper.

Written at the top of the paper in flowing handwriting was:

"Noelani Elensar"

When she walked into the dark interview room, she looked far more confident, but just as Edward had, she looked with curiosity at the three-legged chair on the transmutation circle.

"If you are a true alchemist, the chair will not refuse you," the Fuhrer said coolly.

She looked up at him, and sat down.

"Tell us why you want to be a State Alchemist."

She clenched her fists, "I'm doing it for my brother. He was always there for me, but now, it's time I was there for him."

After the interview, it was time for the practical exam. As usual, there was an assortment of materials to use to do or make anything you wished. As the Fuhrer announced the start, several alchemists performed. Roy was too nervous to keep track of what they did and stared into empty space until Noelani performed. She walked straight to the glacier provided. Roy thought it was good no one had used it yet.

Noelani put on her gloves, and light flashed around her palms when she held them up toward the ice. There was a loud crack, and the glacier shattered into thousands of ice daggers. The daggers were going to fall straight on Noelani! Just as Roy was aiming for his gloves, he saw Noelani dodging each dagger. She moved like water, each dagger in slow motion compared to her. This was a clever display of alchemic and physical skill. When one large chunk of ice was about to fall on her, she stood straight, lifted her right hand, and there was another flash of light. The ice was instantly turned into gas, and Roy could see the cold air slowly fall and frame her body. Calmly, she lifted her hands toward the piles of ice daggers, and there was yet another flash of light. The daggers liquefied, and she lifted the water into the air and brought it together. Then, there was a final flash of light, and the water seemed to explode. Snow fell out of the sky and covered everything in a light layer of white.

"Why didn't you tell me your last name? It's beautiful."

Noelani stood in front of Roy's desk, a State Alchemist, "I didn't think it was important," she blushed slightly.

"Anyways, Elensar," he pulled out an envelope, "you have been given your title. It's actually quite creative and ironic."

Noelani opened the envelope. She saw a sheet of paper with the insignia chimera heading it, and an entire letter below.

She read aloud:

"We give the name 'Northern Light' to thee, Noelani Elensar, in the name of Fuhrer King Bradley."

"Let's hear it for the Northern Light Alchemist!" Breda cried.

Cheers filled the room, and Roy saw Noelani smiling, but she looked horribly embarrassed.

"So, Elensar," Roy asked, "How does it feel to be officially part of our little family?"

"It's wonderful," she replied, just as unseriously, then added hastily, "sir."

"I can't believe you actually passed with only a few days to prepare," Edward seemed even more surprised than Noelani. He and Alphonse had decided to come over to celebrate, but Roy thought if Noelani weren't there, Ed wouldn't have come.

"Well, I had excellent teachers."

Ed blushed while Al twiddled his thumbs in embarrassment.

"Why didn't I get a party?" Ed asked, "I was the youngest State Alchemist ever!"

"Well, you actually had time to prepare," Havoc replied.

Why were they throwing her a party, anyway? Wasn't it a grim fate to be a dog of the military? Maybe it was her wild and free spirit still shining through that inspired them.

Roy looked over to Riza. She was smiling, but Roy couldn't tell if she was proud of Noelani, or if she was just enjoying the scene.

"I thought you didn't approve," Roy told her.

"I can change my mind, can't I?" she retorted.

Roy just laughed, with Riza looking annoyed. She must have been embarrassed at her un-Hawkeye-like behavior.

"I am worried, though," she finally said, going back to her usual self.

"Me too," Roy replied.

"You are?"

"Of course. It's hard not to get attached to her. Besides, if Riza Hawkeye gets attached to someone, everybody will eventually."

Riza looked annoyed again, but it quickly went away, "You know how hard it is when a soldier becomes attached to another person."

Roy couldn't agree more.

"Do you want to go with her?" he finally asked.

Riza looked at him surprised. In her eyes, Roy could see an internal battle between leaving his side and letting Noelani go with the Elrics.

Roy sighed, and said in an unwilling voice, "I swear I'll do my paperwork, stay out of the rain, and not get drunk while you're gone."

Surprisingly, she had to stop herself from laughing, "How will I know you'd keep your promise? While I'm not there, no less?"

"This is different! I promise!" Roy felt like he was talking to his mother or something!

"Fine, I'll go with Noelani," then she got a serious, and worried, look on her face, "But be careful, though."

_**End of chapter 10 **_

_**Woooo! She's finally a State Alchemist! The "Northern Light" Alchemist at that. Strange, since she's clearly NOT from the North...**_

**_Note 1/1/06: I won't be updating for a few days (see profile). I'm having a mental block, along with other things..._**


End file.
